Monsoon likely to hit Kerala next week: Met

As temperatures zoom northwards, the wait for the south-west monsoon could be a bit longer with the weatherman saying the annual rains would arrive in Kerala next week.

As temperatures zoom northwards, the wait for the south-west monsoon could be a bit longer with the weatherman saying the annual rains would arrive in Kerala next week.

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"There is no further progress as yet," India Meteorological Department's (IMD) chief forecaster D Sivananda Pai.

Weather scientists said conditions were becoming favourable for further advance of the monsoon over some parts of the Bay of Bengal during the next three days.

However, scientists do not see this as an indication of an early onset over Kerala.

"We stick to the IMD's forecast of monsoon onset over Kerala by June 3," Swati Basu, director of National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting said.

The monsoon rains, crucial for India's agro-based economy, brought first showers to the Andaman Sea on May 17, three days earlier than the usual date, aided by the then raging cyclone Mahasen.